Springwork.



PA'IBNTED FEB. 27, 1906.

J. A. STAPLE-S.

SPRIN GWDRK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1904.

2 SHEETS-$3331 1.

jw erzZZW @iuwi' 52291 566,

PATENTED FEB. 2'7, 1906.

J. A. STAELES.

SPRINGWORK.

APPLIUATIOF rum: APR. 2c 1904,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. STAPLES, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STAPLES 8c HANFORDCOMPANY, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF N EIV JERSEY.

SPRINGWORK.

Patented Feb. 2'7, 1906.

Application filed April 26, 1904. Serial No. 205,035.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STAPLES, a citizen of the United States,residin at N ewburgh, in the county of Orange an State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Springwork, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to wire structures, and particularly to means forconnecting the ends of a connecting-wire to the op osite portions of aframe or other associated device.

In order to illustrate an application of my invention, I show anddescribe it in the resent case in connection with sprin Wor for beds,couches, and like articles of urniture.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this s ecification,and which illustrate one eXemp ification of the invention, Figure 1 is atop plan view of a section of springwork constructed in accordance withmy invention, the arts being broken away for convenience of ilustration. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of adrop-wire spring-support, illustrating my invention and being brokenaway at its center for the convenience of illustration. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of a straight-wire spring-support, also showingmy invention. Fi 5 is a top View of a section of a frame an of one endof a. wire-support having my attaching means and showing in dotted linesthe support in its initial position for assembling the same on the frameand in full lines the position assumed by the support with relation tothe frame when assembled in its normal position. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrow andshowing the support in place. Fig. 7 is a view showing the methodofassernbling the su port on the frame.

In tiie drawings, the reference-letter A indicates the frame of asuitable s ring structure such, for example, as a be -bottom orcouch-top, composed of suitable side pieces a. and end pieces a. Thesides and ends of the frame are composed of suitable rails, which may beof any suitable form. For example, they may be flat, as indicated inFig. 6, or hollow and square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, thecorners of the frame being united in any suitable manner and the shapeor form of the frame being varied as occasion may require.

The springs S, only the lower ends of which are illustrated in thedrawings for convenience of illustration, may be of any suitable typeand are arranged and disposed on the frame in as many rows or ranges proerly s aced apart as may be necessary and esiralile for the structurebeing made. The lower ends of the springs S are mounted on or carried bysuitable supports, to be hereinafter described, and the upper ends maybe connected together to form a compact and pro erly-braced uppersurface by any suitab e connecting or bracing means usually emplptyed instructures of this character.

he supports or connectin wires b are provided at each end with a hoe band a lateral wing or "finger 6 which latter extend in oppositedirections from the wires or supports at the o posite ends thereof. Theframe is rovide with opposite holes or openings so dis osed as tocorrespond with the location an disposition of the rows or ranges ofsprings and forming seats for the ends of the wires. The holes in theframe are arranged in pairs, each two opposite holes forming the pan" ofseats for the ends of each supportingwire. To assemble these supports,the support is rotated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, to bring thewing in substantially a vertical position over the hole, and the wing atthis end of the wire is then introduced into the hole. The support isthen turned to the position of full lines in Fig. 5, so as to move suchwing up into engagement with the under face of the frame, as shown inFig. 6, this wing then occupying a horizontal position. The wing at theopposite end of the support is then twisted or rotated in the directionof the arrow, Fig. 7, and as the opposite attached end abuts against therail the support is thereby put under tension or torsion, and the freeend having been rotated into a substantially vertical position, as shownin Fig. 7, it is then introduced into its associated hole in the frame,and as soon as it is released it springs up into engagement with theunder face of the rail, this action being due to the torsion of thewire. The holes or openings to receive the ends of the wire being justlarge enough to permit of the passage of the wings and as the wingsextend in the op posite directions from the su )port, the support isheld securely in interlocked relation with the rails. Inasmuch as it isnecessary to put the wire-support under torsion in order to detach thesupports from the rails, any risk of the supports becoming accidentallydetached is overcome.

It is obvious that the wings may be at any angle; but I prefer toarrange them at right angles to the end portions, as thus they comeflush up against the under face of the rail and are more rigidly held.The lengths of the hooks in practice will be approximately the thicknessof the frame.

The particular form of the rail is immaterial, it being understood thatany form of rail having an opening through which the wing may be passedand a surface or ledge against which the wings abut and against which itreacts when the support is in position may be employed.

In the form of structure shown in the drawings the connecting wiresconstitute supports for the springs, and for this purpose I may employeither the drop-wire of Fig. 3 or the straight wire of Fig. .4. In theformer the drop b is rovided at each end in a man ner now well nown inthe art, and in either form they may be corrugated or bent throughouttheir lengths, or they may have eyes or bends at suitable intervals toform seats for the springs. The springs may be supported directly uponthe supports in the seats provided by the bends or corrugations, or theymay rest directly upon supplemental cross-wires b, which in turn restupon and are supported by the wires 6, or the springs may rest directl rupon both sets of wires at their points of crossing and may bind thewires together, as by interweavin therewith in a manner now Wellunderstoo in the art. Any arrangement and or aniza tion of this part ofthe structure is wit 'n the scope of my invention, and in the preferredform, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the springs are rotated upon andinterwoven with the two sets of wires at their several points ofcrossing. In this form the crossing Wires 1) and b have their endsattached to the side rails in the manner above described. The endportions of the wires resting upon the side rails may be provided withsets or rests b for the springs of the edge rows S where they rest uponthe upper surface of the frame, whereby the spring edge is produced, asthe springs S when seated thereon will stand over the upper surface ofthe frameand their top coils Will project flush with or beyond the outeredges of the rails. The springs of the edge rows are shorter than thesprings of the interior rows in order to bring the tops of the sameflush with or at substantially the same elevation as the tops of theinterior springs.

By means of the interlocking connection between the side rails andspring-supports a knockdown structure is provided which may be made bythe manufacturer and may be readily and easily assembled at the factoryor by the jobbers to be shipped ready for use. The interlockingconnections described dispense with the employment of the auxiliary andiudependen t means for attaching the supports to the frame, and thematerials, includ ing the spring-supports constructed as described, maybe furnished by the manufacturer in knockdown form, so as to becompactly packed for shipment, and the connections between the parts areso easily and readily made that they may be assembled by unskilledlaborers.

While I have shown my invention applied to springwork for furniture, itis obvious that it may be used in other branches of industry where wiresor rods are associated with a frameas, for example, in making screens,mats, grilles, and other structures.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a frame having opposite seats, and a rod providedwith means at its ends interlocked with the seats and held againstdisengagement by the torsional resistance of the rod.

2. In combination, a frame having opposite seats, and a rod havin itsends entering the seats and provided wit wings held from disen agementwith the frame by the torsiona resistance of the rod.

3. In combination, a frame having opposite seats, a rod having its endsentering the seats and one of which ends is rovided with a wing engagingthe frame an held against displacement by the torsional resistance ofthe rod.

4. In combination, a frame having opposite seats, and a rod provided atits ends with vertical hooks adapted to the seats, and wings extendingoppositely therefrom.

5. In combination, a pair of rails having opposite seats, and a rodprovided at its ends with depending hooks entering the seats andoppositely-extending wings abutting against the rails.

6. In combination, a pair of rails having opposite openings, and a rodprovided at its en s with oppositely-extending Wings adapted to besprung into the openings.

7. In combination, a pair of rails having opposite seats, a rod havinghooks at the ends adapted to the seats, and oppositely and lateral yextending wings enga ing the rails and held against displacement y thetorsional resistance of the rod.

8. In combination, a pair of rails having opposite seats, and aspring-support having angular ends entering the seats and one of whichends is sprung into its associated seat by putting the rod undertorsion.

9. In combination, a pair of rails having opposite seats and a rodhaving lateral wings passing through the seats and one of which wings isentered into its associated seat by rotation of the same against thetorsion of the rod.

10. In springwork, the combination with a frame having side railsprovided with oppositely-arranged holes, crossing spring-supportingwires having their ends bent to provide oppositely-extending Wingsadapted to said holes and extending laterally therefrom in engagementwith the rails, and springs interweaving with the said wires at theircrossmgs.

11. In springwork, the combination with a frame composed of railsprovided with oppositely-arranged holes, spring-supports composed ofcrossing Wires adapted to said holes and having lateral Wings to passWithin the holes and out of register therewith and which are heldagainst displacement by the torsional resistance of the supports, andsprings connecting said wires at their crossin s.

l2. In springwork, the combination with a frame composed of railsprovided with oppositely-arranged holes, spring-supports composed ofcorrugated crossing wires, the ends of said wires having hooks adaptedto rest in said holes and oppositely-extending lateral Wings adapted toengage the rails and prevent displacement thereof, and springs inter-Woven with said Wires at their crossings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.JOHN A. STAPLES. Witnesses:

ALEX. D. DARRAGH, C. H. HANFORD.

